mastitis/breastfeeding help

[Changingoftheguard]

Really looking for some advice as feeling a bit deflated.

My 3 week old dd has never been the best feeder since birth. She sometimes struggles to latch but it's gotten worse over the last few days. She moves her head from side to side and when she does latch it doesn't feel like she's on right and she comes off quite a lot.

I'm also sure I've now got mastitis in one breast as I feel like death and the breast is very sore, feels almost bruised. I've read I need to keep nursing but it's hard when's she's pulling off and seems quite uncomfortable.

She is a very windy baby and struggles to get her wind up, we started giving her the colic drops 2 days ago but haven't really seen an improvement, don't know if it's related but I really don't know what to do from here.

Any advice would be welcomed.

Ah right sorry - still. I'm not sure about that advice as it doesn't get better by itself and untreated can turn into a breast abscess, which you really don't want.

It would make sense if they thought you just had a blocked duct perhaps? But if you've been feeling fluey then that is unlikely.

After reading that link it makes me think she actually does have tounge tie!
"Babies should be able to poke their tongue tip out well over the bottom lip when the bottom lip is stimulated" - I don't think I've ever seen her do this and just spoke to my partner and he agreed the health visitor didn't seem too convinced she didn't have it.

I feel so bad for her, I don't know if I'm just looking for things but a lot of things on that's link relate to us both. I'm really worrying about my supply now as I've tried expressing again for ages and nothing came out of either and with her not nursing for long I think it's dropping, it's almost like she snacks because she's so uncomfy.

I'm going to take the antibiotics tomorrow and I have to go to the health visitor drop in on Monday so I'm going to say I'd like a proper check for tounge tie

Or should I ring the delivery suite tomorrow as they said we're still in there care for 28 days after giving birth, would they know about tounge tie? I rang the midwife earlier when I couldnt get through to HV and they said they couldn't help as id been discharged from there care

Very hot flannel and bath and try and push the milk and lump out
Paracetamol
Lots of feeding - it took me 8-10 weeks for the latch to improve
If your fever gets too high you way need antibiotics

Keep an eye on things after the antibiotics. It can increase your chances of getting nipple thrush for a short while. Its easy to get rid of with meds from the GP but it stings like a bitch!

Neither health visitors nor midwives are properly trained to assess and diagnose tounge tie (shocking I know!) As I said, you need to go to a breastfeeding drop-in (the HV/midwife should be able to give you info about them, or just Google) or look up a lactation consultant near you. There may be some NHS ones so the most useful thing a HV or midwife could do is refer you to one. But honestly it would be quicker if you just went to a drop-in, preferably one with a lactation consultant present.

Thanks so much I've managed to find one not too far for monday!

Ah that's great, hope it's helpful - I'm sure it will be! Hope the mastitis clears up too xx

Thanks so much, really do appreciate everyone's advice

I fed both of mine without pain and they both had tongue tie, one of them quite severely. It does sound like she might have it.

It's so confusing when you get told different things, I do just have a feeling something isn't quite right though.

Sorry as she's feeding now from infected side but I don't think she's actually feeding. She was fussing/pulling away and is now just comfort sucking. How am I supposed to keep my supply up and help the mastitis if she doesn't actually feed and I'm not getting anything when I express?

Ahhh I'm feeling a bit lost at what to do here

Do you know the Marmet technique for hand expression? That can be helpful, if you google it you'll get descriprions/videos /photos so you can pick which you find best.

If not something I found useful was having a hot shower and massaging with soapy fingers to push the blockage towards the nipple, also using a wide toothed comb with soap on it also helps. If you use the marmet technique in the shower the heat can help your letdown reflex so you should get some milk out. Don't worry about wasting it in this situation, you just want to get it flowing through as much as you can.

The La Leche League helpline is 24/7 though it does run in people's homes. You can call it if you're really stuck/distressed and not getting any answers anywhere else. These women sign up for it so they'd rather you call if you need someone to talk to :)

Two more tips - lie her on her back and lean over her dangling boob into her mouth with her chin towards the blockage. And if she's not cooperating at all, try looking at videos/photos of her when she was newborn or smelling some of her recently worn clothing when you're trying to express (hand or pump) as these can help trigger letdown too.

Warm compress on the side with the blockage just before expressing helps too.

Thank you! Just googled that technique and will try all of the above. Really, thank you

No worries - I remember it, not very fondly!! Good luck :)

How are you OP? Hope the breastfeeding drop-in is helpful today x

Got baby checked today and they said definitely no tounge tie. Typical that she decided to feed like a pro when I was showing the midwife but she then started faffing on a little.

Midwife seems to think it's just really bad wind and to keep persevering which I will, also got her weighed and she's gaining it well but I've been reading about cranial osteopath, willing to try anything to help her and make feeding more enjoyable for us both.

Part of me is wondering if she still just a "bad" breastfeeder.

Mastitis had cleared up and I've been able to express a little today so feeling a bit better, I'd just love her dd to enjoy feeding and not seem so darn uncomfy.

Thanks so much for asking

I'm so glad your mastitis has cleared up

Was the midwife an infant feeding specialist? Did she assess your DD's tongue function by putting a finger in her mouth and observing whether she could move her tongue properly?

"Assessment for tongue-tie requires training and skill and involves placing a finger in the baby's mouth. It cannot be done by just taking a look. Assessment is usually carried out with the baby on the assessor's lap or a flat surface such as a table or couch. It involves observing how the baby uses their tongue.

Professionals assessing babies for tongue-ties should assess elevation, lateralisation and extension. Elevation can most easily be assessed when baby cries. With the mouth wide open, the tongue tip should lift up to at least the mid mouth. In tongue-tied babies the tongue often stays quite flat in the floor of the mouth or the edges curl up to form a bowl shape or 'v' shape. Babies should be able to poke their tongue tip out well over the bottom lip when the bottom lip is stimulated. When the assessor runs their finger along the top ridge of the bottom gum the tip of the baby's tongue should follow the finger so the tongue sweeps side to side (lateralisation).

Some assessors perform a suck assessment by placing their finger in the baby's mouth (pad side up, nail side down) and feeling how the baby is cupping and using their tongue. Assessors sweep their finger under the baby's tongue so they can feel the extent of the tongue tie and the tongue will also be lifted to visualise the frenulum. The appearance of the frenulum is also documented including the shape of the tongue tip, where it attaches to the floor of the mouth and the underside of the tongue and how long and stretchy it is."

(Copied and pasted from the page I linked to in my earlier post.)

If she did all of the above and said no TT, fair enough. But if she didn't assess tongue function I would suggest getting a second opinion.

My DS was gaining weight despite the TT, he was just feeding pretty constantly in order to do so, as he wasn't very efficient.

Oh and I have heard good things about cranial osteopathy so that could be worth a try. We took DS to an osteopath, although it was the TT division that really made a difference in our case, I guess it depends what the issue is.

Were there any complications at the birth?

OP, you sound like you are having a difficult time of it!

This may or may not be helpful but some of the things you've said sound similar to my DD at a similar age. Fussing, pulling away during feeding, not latching properly, wind, sore tummy. It all went away when I cut dairy out of my diet and in the end she was diagnosed with cow's milk protein allergy. Things improved about 72 hours after I stopped dairy and I'm still BF her 11 months in although I crave cheese.

May not be related at all but just wanted to mention it as some of the similarities rang a bell. We were told colic, then we suspected tongue tie and went round and round in circles until we ended up in the out of hours one night after a particularly bad day, and the doctor who examined her mentioned off the cuff on our way out the door that I might want to give a dairy free diet at a go - so off the cuff I almost didn't bother! But I'm glad I did as it has sorted everything out.

For mastitis/blocked ducts, I used to swear by a hot compress while expressing. I hope things improve for you soon

Oh dear just read about this and could quite possibly be the cause, I eat a lot of dairy, I love cheese and have been going though a lot of cereal/milk as quick to make and eat.

My partner has just spoken to a friend who's partner had to cut out dairy and apparently she felt she could hardly eat anything decent because of this, I'm willing to try though but I do need my morning cup of tea, can you recommend an alternative to milk as apparently can't use the lactose free ones from what I've read online?

I'm going to have to have a good read as I'll probably have to cut out more than I realise.

Oh and yes she did put her finger in her mouth namechange, she seemed pretty certain there was no tounge tie, at least that's one thing ruled out hey

Yes good to get it ruled out!
If you want to try cutting out diary, apparently this is a good milk alternative in tea and coffee (not tried myself but a friend and DH both like it):
www.oatly.com/products/international/oatdrinkbaristaedition/

dairy not diary!

The dairy thing isn't actually that bad once you get into the swing of it. You get used to it pretty quickly. Happy to help if that turns out to be part of the problem! I know where all the dairy free chocolate/biscuits are to be found! Sadly still no luck with vegan cheese though

I second oatly for tea as it doesn't taste of much but I prefer almond milk for coffee.

The symptoms could also be because you have oversupply and/or fast letdown. It might be worth trying block feeding before you change your diet.